Sports Illustrated HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Presented byTHE U.S. MARINE CORPS

SOPHIA FORESTA, a junior at Bingham High in South Jordan, Utah, is a two-time national BMX champion with her sights set on Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2020. Her latest title came in November when she won the girls' 15-to-16 age group at Grand Nationals in Tulsa, clinching the girls' National No. 1 Amateur Cup with the most cumulative points among all ages during 2015. Sophia maintains a 3.91 GPA and takes American Sign Language, which she was inspired to try after meeting deaf riders last year at a weekly clinic she helps coach at her local track. "People often go the easy route at school and just take Spanish, but I think that [the deaf community] appreciates that we're trying to really understand and get into their world and their culture," Sophia says. For more on Sophia's story visit, SI.com/HSathlete

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